I'm Not Going Home, Not Really
by Phelpsgirlxxx
Summary: Hermione worries about the meaning behind Harry's words. She knew he didn't like the Dursley's but did this stem to be something deeper?


**AN: Sorry about the gaps, I'm getting my computer fixed on Saturday, so yeah. Anyway, this one isn't very good, but I was busy today, and it had to be wrote quickly. Please read and review.**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY AND J.K**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Hermione's Pov

" I'm not going home, not really."

Harry's voice kept ringing in my head. What did he mean he wasn't going home? Surely he couldn't wait to see his cousin and Aunt and Uncle again. I mean they were his family. Did they have a bad relationship, was that what was going on?

That was when flashbacks hit me when I was in the car home with his parents.

It was the first week of term, and every boy in the year was missing home, even Neville, who despite his complaints, really did love his grandmother. Ron was missing his Mum and Dad, and he even said he was missing his little sister. However, he spent a rather large amount of time around his brothers and he felt more.

Dean and Seamus both missed their families as well, and it was at lunchtime on Saturday in the great hall that the conversation was brought up again after the first week of term.

" Do you miss your family Harry?"

" No." He said as if it was completely normal.

" What?" Seamus asked in surprise.

" I don't miss them." He said nonchalantly.

" Why not?"

" Can we change the subject?" Harry asked abruptly.

" But...?" Dean protested.

" Doesn't matter." Harry said, quickly leaving the hall.

No one saw Harry for the rest of the day, and it was Fred and George who eventually brought him back to the common room. He was asleep in Fred's arms and curled up his hair slightly mused, and his eyes were red. All the first years looked slightly awkward about that as the twins took Harry upstairs and placed him on his bed tucking him in.

" He's exhausted." George told us.

" Let him sleep in tomorrow morning."

" We will." Neville told them.

I was suddenly back in the moving car as my parents began talking to me.

" You okay Hermione?"

" I'm fine." I said smiling.

My mind wandered once more. Harry had never seemed comfortable with many things that people considered completely normal.

" Dad?"

" What is it Hermione?"

" I'm worried about a friend."

" Which friend?"

" My friend Harry."

" Why are you worried?"

" He refuses to talk about his family, and when he was asked about his family, he refused to say anything and went off for a couple of hours, and nobody saw where he went for the rest of the day."

" Hermione, I am sure it is nothing to worry about." My Mum told me.

" Really?"

" Yeah. We can talk to him on the phone when we get home."

" He didn't give me his number for his house."

" Well, what about his address?"

" I have that."

" Why don't we go and visit him in the holidays?"

" That'd be great. Thanks Mum."

As we carried on home, I couldn't help but focus on the way that Harry had never spoken of his family. He called them the Dursley's in the brief moments they actually got a mention in our conversation.

Also, Ron had told me he didn't get a real present from them at Christmas, and he seemed surprised that he had even got a present. This bothered me, and the clothes that he wore on weekends were terrible, ripped and rolled up really far so that his hands could be seen.

We got home, and the weeks passed. I went to France with my parents for a while, but when we came back, there had been no word from Harry, and Ron hadn't heard from him either, and it worried me. He had Hedwig, and I knew that he would have contacted us, as he seemed really annoyed that he had to go home from Hogwarts.

" Mum, when can we go and visit Harry?"

" In a couple of days Hermione, is there a problem?"

" He hasn't messaged me or Ron."

" He might be on holiday." She said with a smile.

" No, he doesn't go on holidays. He doesn't have a passport, and if the Dursley's went on holiday, he would have stayed with his neighbour Mrs Figg. He mentioned her a few times."

" Oh." She replied, a frown appearing on her face with the fact that Harry had never been on Holiday by the sounds of it.

" So what do I do?"

" Well, Harry can come and stay with us for the rest of the holidays if you want."

" Really?"

" Sure. We'll go tomorrow if you want."

" Thanks Mum, he can sleep in the spare room right? I can set it up for him now."

" What if he doesn't want to come?"

" He will, I know he will."

" All right then."

The next day we drove to Surrey, and after a while we found number four privet drive. The house looked normal, and there was a fat kid lounging on the doorstep eating ice creams.

" Is that Harry?" Mum asked looking surprised.

" No. I think that's his cousin Dudley."

" He doesn't seem healthy. Is Harry like that as well?"

" No. Harry's slim and small."

" Oh."

We walked up, and the kid looked up at us surprised.

" Is Harry in?"

" What do you want to speak with the freak for?"

" I'm his friend, I go to Hogwarts with each other."

" Don't speak of that freak school, it isn't allowed." Dudley spat.

" Can you get him."

" Erm..."

" Dudley who is it?"

A skinny horse like female appeared at the door, and I realised it must have been Harry's aunt.

" Who are you?"

" I'm Hermione, Harry's friend from Hogwarts."

She let out a yelp and her eyes darted around with worry.

" Don't talk about that freak school around here." She spat.

" Excuse me." My Mother put in.

" Fine, I guess you can come in. He's in his room. It's the one with the locks."

My Mum raised an eyebrow.

We climbed the stairs in the house, and my eyes shot up with shock as when I saw the amount of locks on his door, and my Mum inhaled sharply. I furiously began unlocking it with surprise, I knew he wasn't keen on his family, but to lock him up.

I swung the door open, and I saw with surprise there were bars on his window.

Harry was sat on his bed looking at the ceiling.

" Harry?"

He shot up in surprise and leapt off the bed.

" Hermione? What are you doing here?"

" Coming to take you home with us. What happened in here?"

" I got in trouble."

" What did you do? I mean you have been locked in here, and there are bars on your window. What did you do?" Mum asked him.

" There was a cake and a house elf came and dropped it on a visitors head."

" Why didn't you tell them it wasn't you?"

" I tried. They didn't listen. Also, I was meant to be in my room." He told as if he was trying to stick up for his family despite the fact that he didn't like them from what I could gather.

" Where are your things sweetie? You can stay with us for the rest of the summer." Mum told him.

He seemed surprised.

" Really?"

" Yeah, where are your things?"

" In the cupboard under the stairs, but I think my Aunt has the key."

" We'll go ask her." I said.

It was quite a while later when we left the house with Harry's things and Hedwig. He seemed glad to be getting out, but what worried me most was the small bed in the cupboard under the stairs. I had a feeling that had been Harry's room at some point, and that worried me.

That night as we settled in and went to sleep, I could hear Harry snuffling from the spare room, and he seemed upset. My parents were asleep, I knew that as I could hear Dad's snores. I came out of my room, and knocked gently on the door to where Harry was staying.

" Harry, can I come in?"

" Er...yeah."

I walked in, and he looked incredibly small sat on the bed and with his knees up to his chest. I sat down on the bed next to him, and he looked sad.

" Harry, are you okay?"

" Yeah, I'm sorry."

" No, it's fine."

I wrapped him in a hug, and he awkwardly hugged back before he dug his head into my shoulder, and I hugged him tighter, and I could feel his bones beneath his t shirt.

" Harry, what did they do to you?"

" Nothing, I'm fine."

" You are not fine Harry. You are so skinny and they had you locked up, and I saw the bed under the stairs."

" It's fine."

" Have they always called you freak?"

" I've grown used to it."

" But you shouldn't have! They are meant to be your family."

" It doesn't bother me."

I just gripped him tighter.

" Harry, you have to tell someone, Dumbledore maybe."

" He won't care. He's got more to deal with than me not being grateful for my living conditions."

" Grateful? Grateful? They locked you up and from what I can see, they starved you."

" I'm fine."

" Harry, I want to help you."

" I have to go back you know. Every summer holidays."

" Not the whole time though. Also, I have a plan, you know to improve it."

" Hermione."

" Don't worry Harry."

We ended up falling asleep like that, curled up together. We awoke to the flash of a camera, and the aww's of my Mother. She had taken a picture of Harry and I asleep together, and my father was smiling at us.

" It's so cute." Mum cooed.

" Get dressed guys, Mum's taking you to the beach, and I am going to go and speak with Harry's guardians."

Harry seemed nervous about this, biting his nails with uncertainty, but he still allowed him to go, though I did assume that Harry just didn't want to tell him that it wasn't a good idea.

We had a great day at the beach, and Harry didn't take his shirt off, but he did go in the water with me, and we had a water fight. We even went on some rides there, and he seemed happy to actually go to the beach for a while.

When we got home, Dad was back, and he told us about his talk with the Dursley's and we all laughed as he described Harry's uncles moustache.

" Don't you worry Harry, when you do go back next summer, they are going to be much more pleasant with you, and also after three weeks, you will come and stay with us every summer."

" Thank you Sir, but are you sure."

" Of course." He said ruffling Harry's hair.

" This is going to be great." I told him.

He smiled.

" Come on Harry."

We ran upstairs, and I was feeling a lot happier. I knew that things might be slightly better with Harry next summer, and he would spend most of the summer with us, and even his birthday with us. Hogwarts would always be Harry's home, but his living arrangements with the Dursley's better, and I was no longer worried about Harry's life at home.

Everything was going to be fine.


End file.
